Telly talk: Why my rear got a cheer

02:19, 19 February 2007

ByManchester Evening News

EMILY Hamilton confesses she was all at sea when the crew of HMS Grafton saw another side to her - as a rear admiral. The Making Waves actress, who plays second in command Jenny Howard, stripped off for a scene in the opening episode of the series.

EMILY Hamilton confesses she was all at sea when the crew of HMS Grafton saw another side to her - as a rear admiral. The Making Waves actress, who plays second in command Jenny Howard, stripped off for a scene in the opening episode of the series.

"I thought - it's a rear shot and everyone's got a bottom," smiles Emily, "and I also thought it was important that Jenny was seen off ship to be really open and free, to show another side to this very straight person in a uniform."

After finishing filming on the Royal Navy frigate, all those involved were invited to a special preview screening, where Emily got the biggest cheer of the night.

"The whole ship's company were there, all 180 of them. I was on the front row, so they couldn't see my face go red," she explains, a tide of crimson flowing across her face once again.

An all-female crew of environmental activists, protesting against the shipment of nuclear waste, need the Navy's help as Making Waves (ITV1, 9pm) sets sail again tonight.

Emily shadowed a real-life counterpart before filming her role as Executive Officer - XO - Lieutenant Commander Howard on HMS Grafton, which is re-named the Suffolk for the TV series.

The Navy allowed her to shadow Vanessa Spiller, at the time the only female XO in the service, on her frigate, HMS Kent.

"She works a very long day and then, obviously, you're on call through the night as well," says Emily. "I was exhausted just following her around.

"By the end of the day, she'd actually lost her voice because I'd asked so many questions. The ship's company were quite pleased about that. You could see she had a very good relationship with them. But she was very much a human being as well."

So was Emily tempted to run away to sea?

"I have to say, by the end, I was. It was amazing getting a view of a life that I would never have seen otherwise. The people I met were very open but very professional.

"So I thought - this life is actually quite good, isn't it? I love the sea and I love ships, but I'd have wanted to go straight in as an executive officer and not have to do all the working up to that!"

Cadet

Emily already had some military experience. Members of her family have served in the RAF, and while reading English at Oxford, she joined the university's air squadron as an officer cadet. Not that it impressed the senior service.

"The Navy are quite dismissive of the Air Force, being the youngest force. I told them I'd flown a plane and there was just laughter, really," she grins.

"But I had an idea of the formality which goes with doing a job well. And when you're dealing with things like planes or ships, you've got to do it well and precisely. There isn't much leeway for doing it badly because you're dealing with such enormous pieces of equipment that are quite complicated."

Jenny's character faced the dilemma of moving to New York with her boyfriend or staying with the Navy. Now Emily and actor husband, Tristan Gemmill, are discussing when she should take a break from acting to start a family.

The couple met while filming the ITV1 drama Nancherrow, although they only had a party scene together and no dialogue.

"We've been married for two-and-a-half years and, obviously, that sort of question is coming up," she says.

Since finishing Making Waves, Emily has been on location in Sri Lanka and Italy, making a feature film about the life of Mother Teresa. She plays an English woman who set up a global prayer circle.

But the call of the sea is never far from her mind. She recalls watching a video of film shot on HMS Grafton.

"I had no idea that I felt so strongly about a piece of metal floating in the sea. It was so emotional. Months after filming finished, I'm missing the crew and the ship, and Porstmouth. It was one of the happiest experiences I've ever had," admits Emily.

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